Synergistic digestibility effect by planktonic natural food and habitat renders high digestion efficiency in agastric aquatic consumers.

A digestibility enhancing effect of natural food on stomachless fish model (Cyprinus carpio) was verified by fluorogenic substrate assays of enzymatic activities in experimental pond carp gut flush and planktonic food over a full vegetative season. Then compared with size-matched conspecific grown artificially (tank carp) and an advanced omnivore species possessing true stomach (tilapia, Oreochromis niloticus). Results suggested activities of digestive enzymes (except amylolytic) were significantly higher in pond carp (p ≤ 0.05) than in the size-matched tank carp. Even compared to tilapia, pond carp appeared superior (p < 0.05; proteolytic or chitinolytic activities) or comparable (p > 0.05; phosphatase or cellulolytic activities). Amylolytic, chitinolytic, and phosphatases activities in pond carp gut significantly increased (p ≤ 0.01) over season. Several orders-of-magnitude higher enzymatic activities were detected in planktonic natural food than expressed in carp gut. Amino acid markers in planktonic food revealed a higher share of zooplankton (microcrustaceans), but not phytoplankton, synchronized with higher activities of complex polysaccharide-splitting enzymes (cellulolytic and chitinolytic) in fish gut. Periods of clear water phase low in chlorophyll-a and nutrients, but high in certain zooplankton (preferably cladocerans), may create a synergistic digestibility effect in pond carp. We conclude aquatic ecosystem components (natural food, water, microbiota) enhance fishes' hydrolyzing capabilities of C/N/P macromolecules and even their complex polymers such as cellulose, chitin, and maybe phytate (to be validated), to the extent that being stomachless is not an issue. Aquatic nutritional ecologists may consider that laboratory-based understandings of digestibility may underestimate digestion efficiency of free-ranging fish in ponds or lakes.

A comparative study of three fishery methods for sampling the invasive topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) in ponds.

Invasive fish threaten ponds' ecological status and their ecosystem services, therefore obtaining a representative sample of fish community composition is fundamental to fishery management, research and nature conservation. Estimates of the size distribution, density and biomass of the topmouth gudgeon (Pseudorasbora parva) model species of invasive fish in three ponds were compared among three sampling methods: electrofishing, fish-trapping and throw-netting. The study illustrates that the invasive fish, P. parva, can be detected by all tested fishing methods, yet our results clearly showed that there are pronounced differences among methods in population characteristic estimates. Electrofishing and throw-netting gave biased information on the size distribution of P. parva. Fish-trapping and throw-netting gave reasonable P. parva density and biomass estimates, while electrofishing clearly underestimated it. All tested methods showed a body size increment of P. parva between summer and autumn sampling sessions, yet neither throw-netting nor electrofishing recorded an increment in its density. Our study showed that fish-trapping is the most reliable and affordable method to estimate invasive P. parva population characteristics in ponds despite more time-demanding sampling. The success depends on the mesh size of sampling gear, operator skill and habitat structure. The cost-effectiveness of the selected methods and the importance of invasive fish monitoring in ponds is discussed. The sampling gear must be considered carefully according to the aim of the monitoring.

TILAFeed: A bio-based inventory for circular nutrients management and achieving bioeconomy in future aquaponics.

Future food systems aim to achieve improved resource use efficiency and minimized environmental footprint through a circular bioeconomy-based approach. Aquaponics is a hallmark of such circular food production. The image of a circular nutrient utilization efficiency in aquaponics is often weakened by the daily use of additional inorganic fertilizers in such systems. As circular bioeconomy greatly emphasizes developing bio-based solutions, the presented novel inventory 'TilaFeed' and its associated utility tools is a step towards achieving more circular nutrient utilization and bioeconomy in future aquaponics. Through the formulation of tailored fish feed that is compatible with aquaponic systems' needs (e.g. plant nutrient requirement, mineralization efficiency of microbial sludge digesters), the objectives of TilaFeed are (i) to solve nutrient constraints in aquaponic systems, both for fish and plants; (ii) to avoid or strongly limit artificial fertilizer use in aquaponics by smartly tailored aquafeeds; and (iii) to equip system managers with decision-making tools for improved nutrient planning of their aquaponic systems. TilaFeed is a bio-based inventory. It integrates material (nutrient) flow information from feed to fish (in-vivo nutrient partitioning, forms of excretion) to environment (in-situ nutrient loading, nutrient forms) and primary producers (mineralization by microbes, available nutrients to plants). Based on TilaFeed-Model, feed for future aquaponics may be more precisely formulated with the principle that nutrients are not only a resource for fish, but excreted nutrients from fish (feed) also fertilize the microbes and plants.